1967 VW Variant.

kadman · 21-08-2023 7:39pm

Remember to cut out the panel that you need to weld in first for the other panels. And you cant take too many pics. You need to be able to re assemble the part you are working on as best as you can. I re assemble the parts I cut out with masking tape so that I have a correct model to refer to with a piece that is ok size wise for this.. I didn't do the front bulkhead as they were too large. This piece is an ideal piece to mock up from the cuts.

More reference points from the bumper mount holes to the edge of the body slot which wont be moved, and up to the top channel which wont be moved either.

New panel marked with reference points on the car. You wont ever have enough reference points no matter how many you have, you will always forget one. And thats ok if you can catch it on the fly, which I can. If you cant its hair pulling out time🤣

And this is what we have been aiming for. The foundation panel to build the rest on. All the rest go onto this one. Once you get this in, you have nice new metal to work on. This is the one we are looking for, after a trial fit here, and checking the bumper mounting holes with our reference points. Houston we are good to go.😉

If you look at this corner in its entirety, it looks daunting, as does the whole of the project. You need to be able to break it down into manageable pieces. Step by step gets the job done, and you dont overwhelm your self.

Thats it for today folks, check back in on the morrow

kadman · 21-08-2023 7:46pm

The panel in the previous post is one of only a handful of panels that can be bought for this car. Made by WERK 34 . But definitely not a patch ( forgive the pun) on an original panel from original vw pressings. Original vw panels of which there are 2 front clips on this car, are millimetre perfect, and need no fettling at all. Jmreire will confirm that for you, there will never be a substitute for original NOS german panels. That manufacturing skill is long gone, so is good old german quality metal.

kadman · 21-08-2023 8:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008195#Comment_121008195

I put up a pic of meself, and whats the first thing that happens, I get insulted. Go on you gurrier🤣😉

jmreire · 21-08-2023 10:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008927#Comment_121008927

Looking better already. and you are so right about the original panel's. I'm not so sure about now, if its still the same, nowadays, but I've often used what were called "Spurious" body panels IE, copies of the originals, and they were never a 100% correct fit, and no matter how many protective coatings you put on, the tin worm would always make an appearance sooner or later, but most likely, sooner. Seeing new metal appear is always a welcome milestone.

Jeff2 · 21-08-2023 10:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121005411#Comment_121005411

What I mean is a pdf file to download like a manual. So you see stuff with out clicking each link.

kadman · 21-08-2023 10:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008185#Comment_121008185

Funnily enough I couldn't find it either. But I am pretty sure it was there. I must go rooting again elsewhere. Any way samba has it. And it was 32 euro plus postage from the states back in 2006-2008 around then. This might jog your memory, I am sure you will remember it,

kadman · 21-08-2023 11:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121009847#Comment_121009847

OH yeah the bad crap is still out there. I put a new set of klokkerholm heater channels on a beetle a few years ago, and I got less than ten years out of them. And i complained to the dealer about the quality, and he said 10 years is the norm now for repro panels. The wings on the front of the variant are 100% and a hammer hops right off them, and not a bit of rust after nearly 60 years.. There are a couple of makers, Hookey, Auto craft and Alan schofields, and classic fab green panels. All great quality and good fits. But alas no Vw type 3 variants, fastbacks or notchback panels.

jmreire · 21-08-2023 11:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121009976#Comment_121009976

No, as a matter of fact, I don't ever remember using that particular tool. Could be because most of the car body repairs that I have done, would have been accident repairs rather than restoration work. And compared to restoration work, crash repairing was much more straight forward. ( but of course time critical) You would have to repair any panels that were repairable, but after that, it was new stuff all the way. Say, you had a car that was damaged on the drivers side front, so typically, new front wing, head/side lamps, front bumper and repair the valance. As the car would have been placed on a jig system to begin with, and the valance and chassis rails were back to their original factory specifications, then it was relatively straight forward from that point on to fit the wing / front panel. The finishing / painting process of course is the same for any vehicle, be it crash repairing or restoration work. But it followed that when Jigs were used, the car was restored to its original spec's, hinge alignment tools would not be needed. Then you had repair systems that were based on measurement's. These were based on the datum line ( you would be very familiar with these, kadman LOL ) this line was a reference point for every singe measurement on the car. So not sure where a particular part fitted relative to another piece? Consult the diagram. This was very useful when working on vehicles that had sub-frames with big tolerances. But once the car had been repaired using a jig system, it was not often needed.

kadman · 22-08-2023 7:37am

OOOooh, what wouldn't I give to get me hands on the proper reference datum drawings of the beetle and type 3's. Manna from heaven that would be for resto work for sure. I remember when the local Cunninghams VW closed up and changed franchises. Every single vw component from washers to crankshafts went into a large about of rubbish skips and off to the landfill. I passed by when the lads were chucking in dozens of cylinders from the first floor window. And all that was to ensure there was no sudden influx of new parts on the local market to service all the beetles in the area, which were a lot. And then all buried in the landfill. Market forces at work back then.

jmreire · 22-08-2023 12:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121010439#Comment_121010439

That was nothing short of sacrilege ......dumped in a skip!!! 😒 And from a main dealership like that their parts stock would have been huge.🤬

kadman · 22-08-2023 12:50pm

But that was the regular procedure for government bodies as well with old stock. When board na mona switched from bsa to bultaco to honda, they did exactly the same thing will all the parts, both new and old as well as complete running bikes. Buried in the middle of the bog in rochfort bridge and other bogs in the midlands. Part of the franchise agreement, there was to be no large stock of parts released to the public under any circumstances.Its common knowledge in the midlands.

kadman · 22-08-2023 1:14pm

Back to the rear corner. Once the starter panel is in , its on to the next panel that connects with it. I made this one from galvanise as its a common area for rusting.Once i trial fitted the bumper mount panel i welded it in

Because of the engine still fitted to the car, access to weld from the inside of the engine bay was tight.I just managed to get a weld for about 50mm down along the front edge of the panel towards the driver. Its more than enough until the engine is out.

And remember to use earplugs whenever you are welding over head. Many a mechanic has forgotten this to his peril and lost his hearing in one ear instantly

This is the material for the new panel. I should be able to form 90% of the panel with this, and may need one or two small filler pieces. But thats easily sorted when its in.

Simple bend in the approximate place, and a mark out for the bottom scoop of the air intake allows me to place the panel against its proposed location to get some finer measurements to fit it

A bit of bashing and fettling later puts me in the ballpark to weld this panel in to place so that I can add the filler pieces later. First thing to do is to check the internal void that I am about to fill so that i can paint in any rust converter or protection thats need on existing good metal to preserve it. Most important.

Then we can weld away.

kadman · 22-08-2023 5:00pm

So thats the corner piece done. And I cant grind off the reminder as I cant reach it, but I am not worried, when all is said and done it will be hidden. next job is to work my way around the ducting thats rusty and needs removal.

jmreire · 22-08-2023 10:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121012835#Comment_121012835

That's a fine job. Nice and neat.

jmreire · 23-08-2023 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014415#Comment_121014415

Probably in your plan anyway, but for fairly inaccessible places for using a grinder ( above is s good example ) I've often used a small cut down wire brush to clean the welds as much as possible, and then brush painted rust protection into the crevices before welding the panel on, and boxing that section in. Like I said, that's probably your plan anyway.

kadman · 23-08-2023 5:31pm

So the next pic is of the cut out pieces that I keep for a template of the pic, That way you can see both the end profile and the side profile.

closely inspect the next area that you consider cutting out....but dont cut it until you have the new replacement piece cut out. Its best to use the existing body shape to form it around.

Once you have the piece famed as close as you think, place it around the existing if you can. And if you are happy, plug in the angle grinder.

Once its cut out, weld in the new piece. Grind off the welds and onto the next panel tomorrow.

kadman · 24-08-2023 8:54am

Any of the sections that are inaccesible but firm and just need a cleaning to remove loose rust I brush out with a wire brush, blow it out and then give it two coats of Bardhal Convert Ox, or Vactan, or Fertan. These are all convertors that convert the rust into a polymer based primer coat. When its dry and fully cured after 2 days you are left with coating that is ready for painting, some of them need the first coating with an oil based paint.

I have used the Convert ox and painted the cured coat with hammerite red oxide, and its now dried to a afirm hard coat. I find the hammerite hard to beat. When thats all ready I intend to paint all this concealed are with gravitex stone chip which seems to do the job.Of course before the stone chip I like to seam seal any welds or panel to panel faces with seam sealer brush on just to give it an extra protection on prone areas.

jmreire · 24-08-2023 8:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019771#Comment_121019771

That should seal it up all right, hard to see it being done any better in any case. I mentioned earlier about an anti rust/corrosion wax treatment, involving a drain jetter like piece of equipment to inject it into cavities...have you ever come across similar? long 1.5 metre 1/4" flexible plastic pipe with a special jet fitted at one end, attached to a special gun, that sprayed in literally all directions when activated inside a cavity.

kadman · 24-08-2023 9:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022604#Comment_121022604

I cant say i have come across a long lance for injecting into cavities, but I have considered making one when I need one. At the moment all the areas where i am working are accessible to me, luckily. I totally agree , yo cant have too much protection against rust.

jmreire · 24-08-2023 9:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121022930#Comment_121022930

Would not be that difficult to make one, 1/4" flexible plastic tubing, even a meter length would do. Then a pressure pot spray gun set up, but with shutz type head to cope with the liquid wax that's used. Most difficult might be the head...in a drain jetter, you would typically have a jet coming straight out in the head of the jet, facing forward, while there would be 4 backward facing jets, propelling the jetter forward. In the anti rust head, the outlet holes are drilled in such a way that they force the wax out in ever direction, up, down, sideways, front, and back. If you inserted one in a 20 ltr drum, in seconds it would put a coat of wax over every sq inch of the interior in a matter of seconds. It was a very effective way of rust proofing.

MrCostington · 25-08-2023 9:19am

Great to see some progress again! However triggers brush comes to mind :) Seriously, great work!

kadman · 25-08-2023 10:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121023979#Comment_121023979

Triggers brush was in better shape. I had pondered on sending it off to the scrappy a few times, but they are not as plentiful as an old merc or cortina, 🤣 so i kept going. Sure what else would i be at.😉

MrCostington · 25-08-2023 10:51am

LOL well once you keep the original nail that holds the handle to the brush it's still original :)

If you fancy a break from the welder, this might be of interest to you

https://forums.autosport.com/topic/224448-at-what-point-does-a-recreation-become-the-authentic-car/

kadman · 25-08-2023 11:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024338#Comment_121024338

I must be getting nearer to the nail now😂

Originality is not really the thing that drives me( forgive the pun) but its having a type 3 fastback to drive down the road when all is said and done. If you look into classic and vintage vehicles its im possible to arrive at the cut off point for whats original, and whats not. Driving and maintaining the original vehicle concept is what its about for me.

kadman · 25-08-2023 5:39pm

Onto the corner panel piece to finish off inside the rear wing.It was too wide for my small bead roller, so with nothing else to form the indent, it was back to the hammer. Its a reinforcement indent, but as I have increased the thickness above the original, I dont really need the indents. But I hammered in two anyway..

A bit of final trimming and fitting, and I will weld it in if I'm happy with it.

jmreire · 25-08-2023 9:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121026654#Comment_121026654

Perfect fit !!!!

kadman · 25-08-2023 9:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121027655#Comment_121027655

Well Jim, if it passes your inspection, thats good enough for me. I am not gonna argue with the forman.👍️

jmreire · 25-08-2023 9:57pm

I hung that particular coat up many years ago, Kadman.😂😂🤣😂🤣😂😅

kadman · 25-08-2023 11:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121027777#Comment_121027777

I thing you may fish it out of the wardrobe again, as there's more to do , and you are the only cert qualified guy to do it😉

jmreire · 26-08-2023 12:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121028121#Comment_121028121

Thanks for the compliment kadman, but at this stage of the game, not only is coat gone, but the wardrobe too!!! And I'm more than happy watch you at work, you are doing just fine!! 😀😂😂😎

1967 VW Variant.

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